Just half an hour on the underground from Central London lies South Woodford, where some of the most exciting things in fine Indian dining are currently happening. The team behind Grand Trunk Road has an enviable backstory….

Est. India apparently offers “traditional, fine, urban” dining, per its website. Even if I would not necessarily choose to be so profligate with my descriptors, in summary Est. was a great venue with some impressively decent food.While there are some obvious classics such as the Korma and the Jalfrezi, it’s the novel that pushes the boundaries…

The owners of the Rosewood Hotel seem – after several iterations – to have hit upon a winning formula for their restaurant. They have created an all-day brasserie of modern British classics with a few twists. It’s worked for years at the likes of the Wolseley or the more recently renovated the Ned. Similar to the latter, the Rosewood benefits from a glorious history and diners get to enjoy the spacious marble-pillared room which used to house Pearl Assurance…

Britain’s love affair with curry is well-documented and remains unabated. Restaurateurs therefore assume that it is a fairly safe bet opening yet more high-end Indian venues in swanky parts of London. Onto the scene late last year came Kahani – Hindi for story – backed by a top chef, formerly of Tamarind fame.

Onima carries a conceit like few other restaurants I have come across. A quick look at the website and you are asked to ‘experience, imagine, believe, feel and shine.’ Precisely what, it may be justifiable ask? Per the Onima blurb, the guiding premise is bringing Mykonos to Mayfair. ..

L P Hartley’s famous line seems an appropriate way in which to describe The Red Pepper. Time does funny things to one’s memory and, of course, we all grow up, but put simply, a recent visit to this restaurant showed demonstrably that in the past, “they do [did] things differently.” We left feeling underwhelmed …

Bristol has seen quite a redevelopment of its dockyard area in recent years and Bertha's comprises one of a group of relatively new dining outlets located just beyond the M-Shed. Decorated in bright hues, the place sets itself up as a fun, family-friendly sort of venue. Or at least this was our view. The menu, however, suggested a severe deviation from this proposition, so much so that even the adults struggled with some of the pizza options. Message to Bertha's: keep it simple...

Perhaps the most satisfying restaurant experiences are those that totally change one’s perceptions and deliver so markedly more than might have been expected. A recent trip to Flour & Ash undoubtedly fell into this category

A superb local restaurant that has been an established feature of Maida Vale for many years. One of the beautiful things about Le Cochonnet is its unchanging nature: having eaten here on and off over the last 10+ years, there has been no major change either to the décor or to the menu.